A response to Brody, Costa and Hess (2012): theoretical, statistical and construct problems perpetuated in the study of female orgasm

Abstract

A string of publications by Brody and colleagues purport to identify health implications in women who report reaching orgasm from vaginal/partnered versus clitoral/solo stimulation. Brody, Costa and Hess (2012) responded to a number of critiques of this line of research, including one by this author (Prause, 2011). Brody, Costa and Hess (2012) elected not to address two of the most critical problems raised: (1) a lack of any theoretical foundation and (2) the absence of psychometric support for their primary measurement. Rebuts are provided for the issues addressed. Also, new data are presented: (1) demonstrating the inadequacy of their methods, (2) falsifying of the vaginal-is-always-optimal prediction, (3) failing to replicate previous reports by Brody and colleagues and (4) documenting confounds of Brody and colleagues measures. Approaches for researchers interested in testing a vaginal-is-always-optimal prediction are suggested in an effort to raise the standards of the science in this area of study.

Keywords:

• orgasm
• clitoris
• female sexual response
• orgasm source
• sexual psychophysiology

Acknowledgements

The author would like to thank Narek Mkrtchyan, Rory Reid, Dean Sabatinelli and Roy Levin for their feedback on previous drafts of this manuscript.

Notes

1. Note that the n will vary depending on how many women had the experiences being analyzed.

2. “Have you had sex (oral, anal, genital) before age 16 when you did not want to because someone forced you in some way or threatened to harm you if you did not?” (from Rellini & Meston, 2007).

3. Statistic is corrected for unequal variance, uncorrected df shown.